Railway journal lubricator



1954 J. J. HENNESSY 2,692,171

' RAILWAY JOURNAL LUBRICATOR Original Filed Feb. 15, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gg/I165 Q/ 7/7ess 6A, A x

Oct. 19, 1954 J. J. HENNESSY RAILWAY JOURNAL LUBRICATOR Original Filed Feb. 15, 1950 ZShets-Sheet 2 I' nTo I Q/d/f/ES Q/"ZLMZ Patented Oct. 19, 1954 2,6 71. RAILWAY JOURNAL. LUBRIGATQR ames J Hehnessy, G be shurg, Pa, as ignolr to nessv Lub i Compan Chembersburg, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Co tinuation f anni oh Serial. .Noll'ifizt, ebr a y 1.5 1. T .onplication Aug s 4, vi952, Se i lNo, 3.041.

12 Claims. '1

This applica i n is a conti u i n of my earlier application, filedFebruarylB, 1950, Serial NO. 144.22 1 0 i ill Qn d- The invention relates to the lubrication of ra lway axle journals b m a ic pump structures actuated by the play of the journal crosswise of the box mounted the o he i en ion i particularly adapted. for se on x journal boxes of the American h sooi n o Railroads type n wh ch th owe all o h box and the ront. Wal merg th e b ing an p nin in the iroht wall above theile el o th bottom f the j u nal. the box is a .sembled with the jou na in the u ual mann with a w d e. and a brass or hearing between the journal and the top wa l f the bo th space between th j urnal and the b ttomo he box and between th hdof the i uma1 an th ir h well. f th b x i so restricted that it is diifiohlt .to insert a me hani al hump thr ugh the usua openin in th ront wall into they place beneath the b t om o th J'oii hal- Th main obie t of th p sent inven on is to p v de a pump hich may e read ly ins ted throu h this paee- P vi usly, m han cal pumps actuated by th crosswi e movement o h journal in the box have been installed by constructing them, of sep ra le. parts whi h may b inserted separatey in po ti n b neath the journal and t er as m d n the desired relation. It is an o j f th p entinveh on t pr vide asingle ass bly in ud ng al of the ubrioator strucur n a p mp, h mp p rat ng, mechanism and lubricant distributor, which may be ly ppli d and removed as a uni thr u the open end of the bo Without jacking up the box to remove the wedge and bearing and then dropping the box onto the journal to provide a greater space between the journal and the bottom wall of the box.

These objects are attained by forming the pump, distributor, pump operating mechanism and the necessary yielding supports all of relatively shallow parts pivotally connected for movement into a p sition h re. th enti e esembly mprises a nerally arouate shal unit which may be inserted endwise an arouat p th ugh th op ning in the end f the box and around the lower corner of the jour a into the sp ce between the journa and the bottom of the box.

A preferred stru tur by w ch. the abovementioned objects are attained is. illustrated in the accompanyin d awings, in wh ch:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a railway axle journal box with wedge, bearing, journal and lubricator in position,

Figure 2 is a similar section showing the lubricator parts in the positions assumed during inse t oh nd moval.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 3,-3 ofFigure 1.

Figure 4 is a top view of the lubricator.

Figure 51s a detail side view of the lubricator in extended position assumed when not mounted th ox.-

Figure 6- is a view of the lubricator as shown in Figure 5, looking towards the right-hand end.

figures 1, 2 and 3 show the lubricator assembled with an axle journal I and ajournal box 2 mounted on the journal by the usual bearing '3 and wedge 4. The major parts of the lubricatorare the frames '5 and 6, each of a general- 1y rectangular contour as viewed from above (Figure 4) and arcuate lengthwise as best seen in Figures '1, 2, and 5. Frame 5 may be considered the outer frame and frame 6 the inner frame. The sides of these frames are pivotally connected by pins or rivets I and they may swing on their pivotal connections from an expanded relative position (Figures 1 and 5) to a retracted relative position (Figure 2) in which the frame lies substantially in a common are. The expanded positions are assumed by the lubricator when installed in the box (Figure 1) and when om W l t ich the luh oetor i up- ,n t ,F oted. at H totheorr sht ha nd o am 5 a distributor com sing a pad 12 of br s ma er l such, or exampl iel or oven yarn or ro he pad. may

nclude a sheet 1.3, o materia comp ratively imtoo l- The pad may inclu e al o meta s which may be oi spring material, as, in-

.di ated at. [4; o more new p ates lihihsd togethe esih iee edat the The. .rzad is shaped,

or hosse sessuih eht flexibility, to se t against the surface of j urnal .i as ind cated n F g r and al o to b nd n thwise e hs ioated n .liisure .2, du ng inserti n and r mo al of th lubri e: int and oi toi the shad between t e journal and. he box. end well One or m r springs 1.6 are c m r sed b twe n base is and th dis iibu or thrusting t e inner ends o homes 5 and-6 apart.

Fulcrumed at I! on inner frame 6 is a pump operating lever i8, the outer arm 19 of which normally extend upwardly and terminates in an element 28 disposed to be engaged by the end of journal. The inner arm 2! of lever 18 extends substantially horizontally and carries the lower end of a collapsible pump body 24. This pump body corresponds generally to that described in co-pending application, filed December 7, 1949, Serial No. 131,579, and preferably comprises an upper chamber 25 and a. lower chamber 26 separated by a partition 21. the pump has inlet flap valves 28. Partition 2'! has outlet flap valves 29 and the upper end of chamber 25 has a port 30 leading to distributor Springs 3!, 32, and 33 tend to expand pad [2. the pump to the position shown in Figures 1 and 5, but permit the pump body to be collapsed, as shown in Figure 2, to accommodate insertion and removal of the lubricator into and out of position between the journal and the bottom of the box. Preferably spring 33 is stronger than spring 32 so that, in normal operation of the pump by lever ll, lower chamber 26 will be col lapsed. As the lever arm 2| rises, lubricant in the lower chamber will be discharged into upper chamber 25. When lever arm 2! is lowered, chamber 26 will expand, valves 29 will close and valves 28 will open to admit lubricant to chamber 26.

Preferably the upper end of the pump body is seated within a collar 34 secured to the underside of the distributor. The lower end of the pump body is seated in a perforated cup 35, pivoted at 36 upon lever arm 3| to accommodate relative angular movement of the lever and the pump body and also to screen the inlet valves against admission of dirt or other foreign matter.

The normal operation of the pump will be readily understood upon recognition of the fact that in railway rolling stock there is relative play of the journal crosswise of the box varying from one-fourth of an inch or so to threefourths of an inch. Such relative movement between the journal and the box is transformed by lever is and springs 3i, 32 and 33 into alternate collapsing and expansion of the pump body .which maintains a flow of lubricant from the sump formed by the bottom of the journal box to the distributor and to the surface of journal 1.

Lever I8 is constructed to accommodate excessive movement of the journal crosswise of the box as may occur if bearing 3 or Wedge 4 is accidentally displaced. In such event, the end of the journal will ride over the top surface 20a of element 20 without rotating the lever to such an extent that its movement will injure the pump.

In the event that collapsing of the pump body is resisted or unduly limited or for some other reason the inner arm 2| of lever [8 cannot function as intended, the lever arms may play relative to each other as provided by their pivotal assembly at 22. (See dot and dash position shown in Figure 2.) Normally lever arms 19 and 2| are held in predetermined relation by bolt 23 and its associated spring, but the spring will yield to accommodate play between the arms if either is held against normal movement. Also, the relative movement of lever arms l9 and 2| may contribute to the passage of the lubricator into and out of position in the box but permit the outer ends of frames and 6 tobe brought together while the pump is in the box without exerting undue thrust beyond the pump.

The outer end of frames 5' and 6 form handles The lower end of 31 and 38 which may be grasped by the thumb and fingers of one or both hands and squeezed together to assume the position shown in Figure 2, in which the distributor and the base and the opposite ends of the frames are moved together to reduce the over-all depth of the unit to such an extent that it may be readily moved in a curved path through the space between the lower outer end of the journal and the opposing lower journal box wall into the box or out of the box without disturbing the assembly of the journal, the journal bearing, the journal bearing wedge and the box.

It is desirable to position the pump longitudinally of the box as indicated in the drawings and for this purpose a spacer 39 is pivoted at 40 to base 9 and projects inwardly of the box into contact with the box inner wall 4|, thus limiting the movement of the unit inwardly of the box. The pivotal assembly of spacer 39 with base 9 permits the finger to tilt asthe lubricator is inserted and removed.

Handle 37 of frame 5 is seated against the upper portion of the box front wall 42 and the contacts of spacer 39 with wall 4| and of handle 2'1 with wall 42 and the fraction between base 9 and the box bottom wall it position the device lengthwise of the box. The bottom of base Sis shaped corresponding to the transverse contour of the box bottom wall it and this interfitting of the base and the box bottom Wall together with the friction exerted by springs I6 hold the lubricator against movement laterally of the box.

' While the lubricator is firmly held in operating position and substantially fills the space between the journal and the bottom of the box, the parts beneath the journal may be reduced in depth substantially to facilitate their insertion and removal and this reduction is effected by manual manipulation of the frames at points outwardly from the end of the journal due to the scissors-like formation of the frame points and their arcuate curvature lengthwise' This makes it unnecessary for the workman to insert any of the parts into the box separately and to attempt to assemble them beneath the journal in a space which cannot be observed.

The structure embodying these features may be varied substantially from the details shown without departing from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of those medications coming within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. Ina railway axle box lubricator, a lubricant distributor arranged to fit against a journal to which the lubricator is applied, a support engaging base, a spring thrusting said distributor and base apart, a pump with a collapsible body associated with said distributor, a spring expanding said body along a line substantially parallel to the line of action of said first-mentioned spring, an operating lever associated with said pump and having a portion disposed to engage the end of a journal to which the lubricator is applied, a. pairof elongated members curved lengthwise and pivoted to each other intermediate their ends to swing into and out of a common are, opposite ends of said springs being engageable by said members for movement with. the associated pad, base, pump and lever parts into an elongated curved unit of relatively shallow depth.

2. In a railway axle box lubricator, a pair of elongated frame members arcuate lengthwise and aeeznvi 53 crossings-intermediate:ltheendsion the members: with pivotal connections: at t the; crossing; said; frames:being-movablezrelativetoieach other about saidaconnectio ns to a lrelative -position linuwhich= they are in a substantially; th'el same are; atlubrie cant rdistri-butora mountedron lone end: :ofl one-of 1 said frames, a support engaging base mounted on the corresponding end of the other of said frameseyiel'ding-means thrusting said ends' apart, a ua y nsaeeable e ement a f'fl l fi ends of saidframes for moving said frames intosaid position; a lever extending lengthwise. of... said frames and: havinga" substantially: arcuategcontour; lengt wise andfulcrurn intermediate its ends on one"of"said"frames, a liibrican'tpump having parts movablegtoiandfrom each other, one ofwhich parts is connected to one endof said, lever and another, oii whigh parts ,is econneetedgtq said'distributor, and,,.an element on tli other, end of said lever disposed to en'gage the; ,end, of,','a iournal 'to which ,the, distributor. is applied.

3. In a railway axle box lubricator, a pair of elongated frame members crossing intermediate their ends with a pivotal connection at the crossing, a lever having a fulcrum, intermediate its ends, on one of said frames, the axis of said fulcrum extending parallel to the axis of said pivotal connection, the end portions of said lever being disposed normally at right angles to each other, a lubricant pump associated with one of said lever end portions and an element associated with the other of said lever end portions for engaging the end of a journal to which the lubricator is applied, and means for conveying lubricant from said pump to the surface of such a journal.

4. In a railway axle box lubricator, a pair of elongated frame members crossing intermediate their ends with a pivotal connection at the crossing, a long wide lubricant distributor pad having a pivotal connection intermediate its ends on one end of one of said frames, a lever having a fulcrum, intermediate its ends, on said frame, the axes of said fulcrum and pivotal connections being parallel and spaced apart lengthwise of the lubricator, the end portions of said lever being disposed normally at right angles to each other and one of said lever end portions extending beneath said distributor pad, a pump body seated at opposite ends against said distributor and said latter-mentioned lever end portion, and an element associated with the other of said lever end portions for engaging the end of a journal to which the lubricator is applied.

5. In a railway axle box lubricator, a pair of elongated frame members arcuate lengthwise and pivoted to each other intermediate their ends so as to swing into and out of a common arc, an elongated wide comparatively fiat lubricant pad pivotally mounted on an end of one of said frames, a pump body depending from said pad and collapsible to and from said pad, a pump operating lever pivotally mounted on said frame at a point spaced longitudinally thereof from said pump body, a base associated with the corresponding end of the other frame member, springs thrusting said frame ends apart, manually engageable elements at the other ends of said frame for swinging the frames on their pivotal connection and compressing said spring and moving said support and distributor towards each other.

6. In a railway axle box lubricator, a base for mounting the lubricator upon a journal box bottom Wall, a distributor for application to the face of the journal to which the lubricator is applied-, a pump associated with said distributor? a-t-pump operating-never, framing upon w-hich said distributor,- base, pump; and lever are mounted-{a all of 'said parts=b'eingpivotally :connected and movableabouttheir: pivots to a vertically ex pandedszrelation with the -parts in functioningi position I and ato a vertically retracted relation 215013 insertion": into and removalfromiamr. assembled? boxuandzijourna-l; an'd -sprin'giyieldinglyethrusting: the parts zinto the expandedv functioning posit. tions;-. J

'lza-Irr combinationsairailwayeaxle journal,.a bOlQ mountedethereomand z-havingisan' lendbwal-lcwitht an opening aboveetherlevel:rof'ltlieubottomaof the-1 journalg, as lubricator comprisingi atdistributor: andg/a zipumpv and-:2 aelpumpa operating. :lever; and a basea supportingpthec distributo andiz pump on: the: bottom-; of]: the :boxi:withetheedistnibutoris in.- contactz with then-journal, and meanssassooiatedr with-:saidypump; lever; distributor and; baseeand; projecting therefrom outwardly/'11:; ands upwardly; ofnthe'pboxzgbeyond :the end; 10f etheiqjournaha-tosar point adjacent said opening and there provided with manually operable elements for shifting the pump, lever, distributor and base relative to each other vertically while they are beneath the journal to facilitate removing the lubricator from the box.

8. In combination, a railway axle journal, a box mounted thereon and having an end wall with an opening above the level of the bottom of the journal, a lubricant pump, a pump operating lever, a distributor leading therefrom, springs supporting said distributor against the journal from the bottom of the box, said pump, distributor and springs being permanently assembled and being movable as a unit into and out of position beneath the journal, and means associated with said pump, distributor and springs and extending therefrom outwardly and upwardly beyond the end of the journal to a point adjacent said opening and there provided with manually operable elements for compressing said springs and collapsing said pump-lever-distributor structure to remove the same from the box.

9. In a railway axle box lubricator, a support, a lubricant applicator having a discharge outlet, a pair of elongated members pivoted to each other between their ends, one end of one member being connected to said support and the corresponding end of the other member being connected to said applicator, the other ends of said members forming handle-like elements to be grasped manually and movable towards and from each other to move said support and applicator towards and from each other, a pump structure with relatively movable coacting parts, one of which is associated with one of the elongated members, and a pump operating lever mounted on the other of the elongated members and having an arm operatively connected to the other pump co-acting part.

10. A railway axle box lubricator as described in claim 9 in which the pump structure includes a cylindrical pump chamber having a wall of flexible material, one end of said chamber being connected to an arm of the operating lever and the other end of the pump chamber being connected to said applicator and the other arm of said lever having a terminal disposed adjacent to but spaced from an end of the applicator.

11. In a railway axle box lubricator, a pair of elongated, rectangular frames crossing each other vertically intermediate their ends, one frame fitting within the sides of the other frame, said frames having a pivotal connection to each other where they cross, yielding means thrusting the ends of said frames apart, an upright pump body positioned between the sides of said frames and spaced from said pivotal connection, a lubricant distributor associated with the upper end of the pump body and connected to the adjacent upper arm of one of the frames, manually engageable elements on the outer end of the other arm of said frame and on the adjacent end of the other frame for manipulating said frames to compress said yielding means and collapse said pump body, and a pump actuating device carried by said frames and projecting upwardly near one end of said distributor for engagement with the end of a journal to which the distributor is applied.

12. In a railway journal axle box lubricator, an upright collapsible pump body having a lubricant distributor associated with its upper portion and an inlet associated with its lower portion, a pump operating lever comprising a pair of arms disposed horizontally and vertically respectively and substantially at right angles to each other, the end portion of the horizontal arm supporting the lower portion of the pump bodyv and the upper portion of the vertical arm arranged to contact a journal positioned above the distributor, said arms being adjustable to vary the angle between them, and means holding said arms in a selected angularrelation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 86,421 Lane Feb. 2, 18 2,182,205 Hennessy Dec. 5, 1939 ,817 Hennessy Mar. 16, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,740 Great Britain 1902 29,096 Austria Mar. 1, 19 96,965 Germany May 13, 1898 165,655 Germany Sept. 13, 1 04 

